Bowl with Dutch and Chinese Figures

When political turmoil in China prevented Dutch traders from filling European orders for decorative porcelains, they turned to the budding porcelain industry in Japan. From the mid-1600s to the mid-1700s, vast quantities of brilliantly colored wares were shipped abroad. At the same time, the Japanese themselves developed a taste for porcelain. This bowl, with its amusing depictions of exotic foreigners, was undoubtedly made for the domestic market.